French Alps

France

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French Alps Travel Information

The Basics

Time

GMT +1 (GMT +2, Apr - Oct)

Electricity

Electrical current is 220 volts, 50Hz. European two-pin plugs are standard.

Language

French is the official language.

Travel Health

No particular vaccinations or medications are required for
travel to France. The prevalence of certain tick-borne infections,
like lyme disease, tularemia, tick-borne encephalitis, and
rickettsial diseases, mean that travellers should take precautions
against ticks if they are travelling in rural or forested areas in
warm weather. Rabies also occurs occasionally and those who will be
spending time with wild animals or who are at any risk of animal
bites should consider a rabies vaccination.

French hospitals and health facilities are first class. British
citizens, and visitors from other EU countries, are entitled to
heavily discounted medical treatment and medicines on presentation
of a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Otherwise doctors and
hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services.
Medical insurance is advised. Pharmacies will provide some first
aid, but charge for it.

Tipping

Most restaurants and hotels automatically add a 15 percent
service charge so a tip is not necessary, although another two to
three percent is customary if the service has been good. If service
is not included then 15 percent is customary. Taxi drivers expect
10 to 15 percent of the fare, and hairdressers about 10 percent.
Hotel staff generally receive about €1.50 a day and tips of
about €1 are given to washroom and cloakroom attendants and
museum tour guides. Tour bus drivers and guides are also
tipped.

Safety Information

Following the London and Madrid bombings, security has been
heightened in France, particularly in the transport sector.
Unattended luggage left in public places will be removed or
destroyed by security staff. While generally safe, visitors to
France are advised to take precautions against petty theft and to
ensure their personal safety. Thieves and pickpockets operate on
the metro and around airports. Theft from cars is prevalent,
particularly in the south, around Marseilles, and in Corsica.
Several recent cases of burglary have been reported while visitors
were asleep in their caravans and motorists are asked to avoid
parking in isolated or darkened areas of camping sites or parking
lots. Tourists are advised to conceal bags and purses even when
driving, and to never leave valuables unattended in the car. Bag
snatching is also common, particularly on public transport and in
shopping centres, and visitors should also be vigilant of luggage
while loading bags into and out of hire cars at airports. Violent
crime against tourists is rare and holidays in France are generally
trouble-free.

Local Customs

French culture is of paramount importance to the French and in
an increasingly Americanised world they feel duty-bound to protect
it. It is appreciated if visitors can speak a few words of French;
locals do not respond well to being shouted at in English. While
the food is second to none, foreigners may find the service in many
restaurants sloppy; waiters can appear rude (particularly in Paris)
and take their time. This is just the way they are. Traditional
games such as pétanque (similar to lawn bowling but
played on gravel) are popular in village squares, but the national
sports are soccer, rugby and cycling. Smoking in public places is
not allowed and will incur heavy fines.

Business

Business etiquette is important in France. A smart, fashionable,
sense of dress is common as the nation prides itself on haut
couture. Punctuality is not always observed though and the
'fashionably late' tactic may be applied. A handshake is the common
form of greeting for men and women upon first introductions. Titles
are important and the person is to be referred to as 'monsieur'
(Mr.), 'madame' (Mrs.), or 'mademoiselle' (Ms.). Meetings usually
occur over lunches, and the French are known to enjoy food.
Business hours are generally 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Communications

The international access code for France is +33. The outgoing
code depends on what network is used to dial out on (e.g. 00 for
France Telecom), which is followed by the relevant country code
(e.g. 0044 for the United Kingdom). Other codes are used if using
different networks. The area code for Paris is (0)1. Most public
telephones accept phone cards, which are available in newsagents.
Most hotels add a surcharge to calls, which can be very expensive;
the cheapest way to call abroad is often with a phone card from a
public telephone or at a post office. The local mobile phone
operators use GSM networks and have roaming agreements with most
international mobile phone companies. Internet cafes are available
in towns throughout France.

Duty Free

Travellers from non-EU countries over 17 years entering France
can bring in the following items duty-free: 200 cigarettes, or 100
cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250g tobacco; 1 litre of spirits with
alcohol content 22% and over, or 2 litres of dessert wine or
sparkling wine not exceeding 22% alcohol volume, and 2 litres of
table wine; 50g perfume or 250ml eau de toilette and other goods to
the value of €175 per adult or €90 for children under
15 years.

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